The Mariners opened this season’s Central Reserves Cup with a closely fought 1-0 victory over Chesterfield away at Alfreton Town.
A strong second half showing was capped off with a goal from Academy forward Elliot Smith who poked home from a Mamadu Jalloh cross.
FIRST HALF
Town began the game on the front foot, with the first chance falling the way of Jude Soonsup-Bell just two minutes in after some clever footwork, but the eventual curling effort was narrowly over the crossbar.
Mere moments later, good work from Geza David Turi and Reece Staunton on the right wing saw a dangerous ball played toward Danny Rose but the Town Skipper’s effort was just unable to beat Charlie Reece in the Chesterfield goal.
20 minutes in, a poor pass was seized upon by Town, with Rose laying the ball off to Fortune Onoh who found himself clean through on goal, but his eventual shot was saved by the feet of Ryan Boot in the Chesterfield goal.
Just before the half-hour mark Soonsup-Bell brought down Chesterfield’s James Berry at the edge of Town’s 18-yard-box but the resulting free-kick from Adam Lewis curled wide of the right post.
Town were back down the Spireites end moments later with the returning Gilsenan fouled right on the edge of the penalty area. The Town #19’s resulting set-piece found the head of Eccleston at the back-post, but the effort was wide of the target.
On the 30th minute mark it was three pre-planned substitutions for the Mariners with Elliot Smith, Charlie Elliott and Corey Foster coming on in place of skipper, Danny Rose and returning Sam Lavelle and Zak Gilsenan. Henry Brown also made way for Mamadu Jalloh.
Just past the 40-minute mark fantastic skill from Soonsup-Bell allowed him the space and time to whip an effort goalwards, narrowly avoiding the top right corner.
SECOND HALF
56 minutes in the biggest chance of the game fell to the feet of Soonsup-Bell, after fantastic work from Neo Eccleston on the right flank, crossing the ball to Town’s #10 whose first time effort flew agonisingly wide of the bottom right corner.
67 minutes in, it was Town who opened the scoring, with Academy youngsters Mamadu Jalloh and Elliot Smith combining, with the latter latching onto a cross and poking the ball into the bottom right corner from 3-yards out.
A huge chance fell to Town 81 minutes in, with great skill from Soonsup-Bell in a busy Spireite’s box, firing a low cross which found young Charlie Elliott, who was denied by a fantastic reflex save by Boot.
Town kept pushing for a second with young centre half Elliott firing a powerful effort off target from distance.
Staunton also had an effort from the edge of the box saved by Boot and a late free-kick from Soonsup-Bell cannoned off the crossbar.
Town: Casper, Eccleston, Lavelle (31’ Elliott), Graham, Staunton, Turi, Brown (30’ Jalloh), Onoh (83’ Booth), Gilsenan (30’ Foster), Soonsup-Bell, Rose (30’ Smith)
UTM
